ABET PRIMER

What is ABET, What Does ABET Do, How Do We Do Well With ABET

DISCUSSION TOPICS WHAT IS ABET? WHAT DOES ABET DO? ABET REVIEWS – WHAT ARE THEY? WHAT ABOUT CRITERIA? WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO PREPARE? WHAT HAPPENS DURING A VISIT? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A VISIT? WHAT ARE MOST COMMON PITFALLS?

WHAT IS ABET? Organization of Organizations Purposes

Accreditation Promote Intellectual Development Provide Technical Assistance

Recognized by Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

NCEES Recognition (EAC)

WHAT DOES ABET DO? Accredits College Level Degree Programs in

Engineering, Technology, Computing, or Applied Sciences

Four Different Broad Areas Engineering - Leading to Professional Practice Technology- Technological in Nature – Between

Engineering and Vocational/Industrial Technology Computing – Leading to Professional Practice in

Computing Disciplines Applied Sciences – Technical Fields with Close

Ties to Engineering or Applied Science

WHAT DOES ABET DO?Commissions Engineering Accreditation Commission

(EAC) – BS and/or MS Level Technology Accreditation Commission

(TAC) – Associate or BS Level Computing Accreditation Commission

(CAC) – BS Level Applied Science Accreditation

Commission (ASAC) – Associate, BS, or MS Level

WHAT ARE ABET REVIEWS? General Reviews – Every Six Years Interim Reviews (Focused Review) –

Occur Two Years After General Review Shortcomings Trigger Interim Review Interim Visit Interim Report

WHAT ABOUT CRITERIA? Criteria are Basis of Evaluations Up to Now, 4 Different Criteria 2011 – 2012 Harmonized Criteria Will

be Implemented Criteria – Same Topics for Each Criterion Definitions – Same Some Differences by Commission

WHAT ABOUT CRITERIA?EAC I General Criteria for Baccalaurate Level

Programs 1 Students 2 Program Educational Objectives 3 Student Outcomes 4 Continuous Improvement 5 Curriculum 6 Faculty 7 Facilities 8 Institutional Support

II General Criteria for Masters Level Programs III Program Criteria

WHAT ABOUT CRITERIA?TAC General Criteria

1 Students 2 Program Educational Objectives 3 Student Outcomes (List for BS & Assoc) 4 Continuous Improvement 5 Curriculum 6 Faculty 7 Facilities 8 Institutional Support

Program Criteria

WHAT ABOUT CRITERIA?CAC General Criteria

1 Students 2 Program Educational Objectives 3 Student Outcomes 4 Continuous Improvement 5 Curriculum 6 Faculty 7 Facilities 8 Institutional Support

Program Criteria

WHAT ABOUT CRITERIA?ASAC I General Criteria for Baccalaureate and

Associate Degree Programs 1 Students 2 Program Educational Objectives 3 Student Outcomes (List for BS & Assoc) 4 Continuous Improvement 5 Curriculum 6 Faculty 7 Facilities 8 Institutional Support

II General Criteria for Masters Level Programs III Program Criteria

WHAT IS APPM? APPM – Accreditation Policy and Procedure

Manual Items Pertinent to Reviews

During on Campus Visit Examine: Facilities Materials (list on next slide) Evidence PEO’s Have Input from Constituences Evidence of Assessment, Evaluation &

Attainment of Objectives Evidence of Assessment, Evaluation, &

Attainment of Student Outomes Evidence of Actions Taken to Improve Program

WHAT IS APPM? Materials to Be Examined

Student Work – Especially Upper Division Range of Grades

Course Syllabi Textbooks Exams

HINT : Make it Easy for PEV to Find Information

WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO PREPARE? READ CRITERIA

2010 – 2011 VERSION 2011 – 2012 VERSION – SEE CHANGES PRINTED

IN 2010 – 2011 VERSION READ APPM

SECTION II.GPROGRAM REVIEWS PREPARE SELF STUDY

USE APPROPRIATE SELF STUDY QUESTIONAIRE – www.abet.org/forms.shtml

WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO PREPARE? Brief all Faculty & Staff on Process Make Sure Advising Sheets Prepared

Properly – Transcripts Sent to PEV Collect and Organize Materials View Laboratories With “New” Eyes Program Head – Contact PEV/Team Chair

Depends on Commission Make PEV’s Job as Easy as Possible

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A VISIT? Team Chair Visits Dean, President, Provost, CFO ,

Registrar, Admissions, etc PEV’s Visit Program & Support Depts. Program Visit

Program Head Faculty Students Staff Laboratories

Support Departments Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math, Library, General

Education, Career Services, Computing, ETC

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A VISIT? Sunday – Day 0

Review Materials and Tour Laboratories Monday – Day 1

Make Visits Described on Previous Slides Lunch – Institution Arranges – Students, Advisory

Board, Support Department Tuesday – Day 2

Conclude Visits on Previous Slides Prepare Exit Statement Exit Interview

EXIT INTERVIEW Tuesday – Mid-Afternoon Chief Executive, Provost, Dean – Plus

any Institution Would Like Exit Statements Read No Time for Debate or Rebuttal Program Audit Forms (PAF) – Given to

Dean

KEY TERMS Deficiency Weakness Concern Observation

DEFICENCY (D) A Criterion/Policy/Procedure is not

Satisified BAD – Show Cause (SC) – First Step to Not to Accredit -- Revisit in Two Years – Focused Visit

WEAKNESS (W) Lacks Strength of Compliance to

Insure Quality of Program will not be Compromised Not So Good Interim Action Required in Two Years

Report – IR Visit -- IV (Focused Visit)

CONCERN (C) Program Currently Satisfies

Criterion/Policy/Procedure – Potential Exists for Situation to Change Not So Bad – Next General Review (NGR) – If Only C’s Sends Signal to Next General Review

Team

OBSERVATION Comment or Suggestion to Help

Improve Program No Effect on Accreditation Action Can Result in Action

Eaton Hall Result of Observation

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A VISIT? Seven Day Response

Correct Errors in Fact Draft Statement – To Dean

Arrives January/February 30 Day Response

Institution Responds to Draft Statement Commission Meeting – July

Commissions Take Accreditation Action Final Statement – To CEO

Late August – September Final Decision & Statement

WHAT ARE MOST COMMON PITFALLS? Criterion 2 – Objectives –

Read Definition Carefully Broad Statements Attainments of Graduates

Objectives More Like Outcomes Constituencies Needs Not Considered Assessment & Evaluations Not Done

Systematically

WHAT ARE MOST COMMON PITFALLS? Criterion 3 – Program Outcomes

Outcomes (a) – (k) Must Be There – Wording may be different, but all must be there.

Assessment Data Must Be There All Must Not Be Subjective i.e. surveys

only Watch Out for Faculty Observations Only Need to Demonstrate Learning

OVERALL ADVICE Make Assessment and Evaluation Part of

Departmental Procedures Every Semester Read Criteria Carefully –

Be Sure to Read Criteria That Applies Read Ahead for Changes

Read Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual (APPM)

Become a PEV Attend a Gloria Rogers Assessment

Workshop

QUESTIONS